Prescription Pain Medicine (Opioids) and Heroin Education and Prevention Program Presenter Training .

Prescription Pain Medicine (Opioids) and Heroin Education and Prevention Program

Presenter Training

www.overdose-lifeline.org

About Overdose Lifeline, Inc.Overdose Lifeline, Inc. is a non-profit working on behalf of individuals with the disease of addiction and their families to assure adequate resources and support exist. 

Justin Phillips created Overdose Lifeline after her son Aaron's tragic death by heroin overdose.   Pictured here are Justin Phillips and her children, left to right: Aaron, Audrey, and Bryan. 

www.overdose-lifeline.org

About the Program

PART 1

An evidence-based turn-key program that can be rolled out in Indiana and anywhere in the United States

Meets Health Education Standards

All program materials and presenter support can be found on overdose-lifeline.org.

Overdose Lifeline, Inc. has developed this educational program to help inform

students regarding the risks of prescription pain medicine (opioids) and heroin use and provide alternatives to

using drugs and alcohol in dealing with the issues, stresses, and pressures facing

today’s youth.

Educational Program Pilot Period

January – May 2015, Overdose Lifeline, Inc. partnered with Indianapolis Metro Police Department (IMPD) to deliver the Education and Prevention program across 5 Indianapolis area high schools, reaching more than 1900 students.

• Collecting feedback from educators and students•Modifying the program based upon pilot experience

Education Program Objectives

• Drug use can lead to heroin use, addiction, overdose, and death• The risks of heroin and prescription pain drug use• The impact of heroin, drugs and alcohol on the user

and the user’s family and friends• Alternatives to using heroin, drugs, and alcohol • The many ways to ask for help and available

information and resources

After completing the lesson, students will know and understand

Educational Program Package

The lesson plan and program materials are mapped to the program objectives and designed to provide the student with the opportunity to learn through a guided and practical exercise -- deepening their understanding and retention.

Program elements include

Lesson Plan, Presenter Support &

Background

Film Discussion and

Companion

PowerPoint

Post -Assessm

ent

Student Info

Card & Websit

e

Survey Data

Pre - Assessm

ent

Lesson Plan, Presenter Support & Background• The Lesson Plan provides an outline and presenter script

to follow from the lesson start (“Introduce the lesson”) through the lesson completion• Presenter Edition of What Do You Know worksheet with

presenter notes for each statement• Companion PowerPoint with presenter notes for use

during the discussion portion of the lesson• Discussion Guide containing background and information

regarding addiction, prescription pain pills and heroin that the presenter may wish to incorporate into the lesson

Pre- and Post-Lesson Assessment

What Do You Know WorksheetThe student worksheet ”Before the Lesson” activity captures the student’s established perception and opinion.

The “What Do You know” statements model the lesson objectives, using terminology from the film to help with the students retention and acquisition of the information.The student worksheet “After the Lesson" activity asks the student to re-assess the same statement after they have benefited from the film and the discussion.

The three survey questions provides Overdose Lifeline feedback to help improve the lesson for future groups.

Do Not Write Your Name on the Worksheet

Education & Prevention Film

The lesson objectives are the blueprint of the film which finds students talking to students using real, everyday terms.

Discussion

The discussion portion of the lesson allows students to express their opinion/feelings about what they just watched and the presenter to guide the discussion.

Presenter support available:• “What Do You Know” presenter edition with notes beside

each statement • Discussion Guide • Companion PowerPoint with presenter notes

Student Takeaway & Website

To support the student after the lesson a flyer is available as well as a website containing the film, more information, and resources.

Survey Data & Feedback

By mailing the completed “What Do You Know” student worksheets and the “After the Lesson” presenter survey to Overdose Lifeline, Inc. you will help Overdose Lifeline track and measure the effectiveness of the lesson plan and education materials and improve upon the program.

Mail Survey and Student Worksheets:Overdose Lifeline, Inc., 7331 Lakeside Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46278 , Attn: EDU Program

ONLINE edition of Survey and Student Worksheets coming soon.

Lesson Outline & Timeframe

Film Post -Assessm

ent

Student

Takeaway&

Website

Pre - Assessm

ent

2 minutes 12 minutes 4 minutes

2 minutes

1 minute25 minutes

Lesson plan activities are designed for a 45 minute timeframe

Discussion and

Companion

PowerPoint

Lesson Introducti

on

1 minute = 45 Minutes

Discussion Guide

• Helpful Notes for the Presenter• Heroin and Prescription Pain Medicine

(Opioids) Facts• Impact on the Body/Brain • Addiction• Two Stages of Withdrawal• Overdose/Poisoning PART 2

Helpful Notes for the Presenter

• Build a rapport with the students before you start the session.• Example: Tell a joke or personal story so the students don’t see the

presenter as a separate “expert”

• Establish common ground, but don’t fabricate a personal story.• While the film is playing, sit with the students – be a part of

their community.• Bring candy and hand out to encourage questions and

participation in the discussion.• Communicate that this is about saving lives – the information

that will be shared can help save their own lives and the lives of others – ask the student to share what they have learned with others.

Helpful Notes for the Presenter, continued• Be sure not to create a stigma surrounding addiction.

Explain that addiction is not due to a of lack of willpower. Nor is it a mental illness. Addiction is a chronic brain disease -- that can be compared to other chronic diseases like diabetes. Chronic diseases don't really go away but a person can recover with regular care and attention, maybe medicine, to avoid getting worse or dying.• A person does not choose to become an addict, the

person's body responds differently when exposed to alcohol and drugs.• Being addicted to alcohol or drugs does not make a

person flawed or wrong. They just need help and regular care and attention.

Helpful Notes for the Presenter, continued• Ask the students if they have been affected by drugs and

addiction through family or friend, presenter raise their hand too – also creates common ground.• During the discussion ask the students by a show of hands, how

many knew that heroin and prescription pain medicine were the same thing before the film.• Usually 1/3 to 1/2 know this connection before the lesson, stress that this

is really important information and one of the main reasons that you are there with them today. Ask them to share this with others to help others avoid the life threatening risks of heroin.

• Make sure to communicate that prescription pain medications are needed and useful when properly taken and monitored by a doctor.

Helpful Notes for the Presenter, continued• Use open ended questions and encourage participation

whenever possible.Example of closed-ended question“Did you feel sad for the people who shared their stories in the film?”

Example of open-ended question“What are some words that come to mind when you think about the people who shared their stories in the film?”

• When presenting within a school environment ask the school in advance if they want to refer students with additional questions to the school counselor, nurse, health teacher, etc.• Consider inviting a “speaker” from the recovery community

to share their story and experience.

Heroin & Prescription Pain Medicine (Opioids) Facts• Heroin and Prescription Pain Medicine are the same thing, both fall

within the Opioids class of drugs.• Opioids are highly addictive, dangerous and leading cause of death in

U.S.• Overdose can occur on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. use – one cannot control

when an overdose will occur.• When one chooses to take an opioid drug, ones choice to continue to

use or stop is taken away from them as the chemistry of the drug takes over ones body, central nervous system and brain mechanism• Opioids are highly addictive, when no longer available, severe

withdrawal occurs• Initial Opioid withdrawal lasts for 7 days to 2 months, Post-Acute-

Withdrawal (PAW) continues for approximately 2 years with risk of relapse high during PAW episodes

• Pharmacy robberies across the U.S. are on the rise.• In the News (MAY 2015): Scott County Indiana is experiencing an

outbreak of HIV and Hepatitis C due to the sharing of needles during the use of opioids. Similar news stories are emerging across the U.S.• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 23%

of heroin users develop chronic opioid addiction disease.• In 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

estimated that 1.9 million Americans live with opioid pain reliever addiction and 517,000 are addicted to heroin.• While Heroin poisoning/overdose continue to rise each year by

approx. 20%, prescription pain pill poisonings/overdose rise by 90%.• About 75% of opioid addiction users switch to heroin as a cheaper

opioid source.

Heroin & Prescription Pain Medicine (Opioids) Facts

Impact on the Body/Brain - Addiction• Prescription opioid pain medications and heroin bind to molecules on

cells known as opioid receptors. These receptors are found on nerve cells in many areas of the brain and body, especially in brain areas involved in the perception of pain and pleasure.• Medications that affect the brain can change the way it works—

especially when they are taken over an extended period of time or with escalating doses. • They can change the reward system, making it harder for a person to

feel good without the drug and possibly leading to intense cravings, which make it hard to stop using. • When a person is addicted to a drug, finding and using that drug can

begin to feel like the most important thing—more important than family, friends, school, sports, or health.• The effect of opioids on the developing brain of a teenager compounds

the addiction outcomes – making it all the more risky for teenagers.

Impact on the Body/Brain –The Two Stages of Withdrawal• Opiate withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from one week to one month. Especially the

emotional symptoms such as low energy, anxiety and insomnia can last for a few months after stopping high doses of opiates.

• The second stage of withdrawal is called the Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). During this stage you'll have fewer physical symptoms, but more emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms.

• Post-acute withdrawal occurs because your brain chemistry is gradually returning to normal. As your brain improves the levels of your brain chemicals fluctuate as they approach the new equilibrium causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms.

• Post-acute withdrawal feels like a rollercoaster of symptoms. In the beginning, your symptoms will change minute to minute and hour to hour. Later as you recover further they will disappear for a few weeks or months only to return again. As you continue to recover the good stretches will get longer and longer. But the bad periods of post-acute withdrawal can be just as intense and last just as long.

• Each post-acute withdrawal episode usually last for a few days. There is no obvious trigger for most episodes. You will wake up one day feeling irritable and have low energy. If you hang on for just a few days, it will lift just as quickly as it started. After a while you'll develop confidence that you can get through post-acute withdrawal, because you'll know that each episode is time limited.

• Post-acute withdrawal usually lasts for 2 years. This is one of the most important things you need to remember, prepare for and guard against potential relapse.

Impact on the Body/Brain - OverdoseHeroin and opioids tell your body to stop breathing and can also cause your blood pressure to dip significantly and cause your heart to fail.

Signs of depressant drug overdose (e.g. heroin, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone) include:

• shallow breathing or not breathing at all

• snoring or gurgling sounds (this can mean that a person’s airway is partly blocked)

• blue lips or fingertips

• If you pick up their arm or leg, it will just fall and flop

• no response to stimulus

• disorientation

• unarousable (can’t be woken up) unconsciousness.

Companion PowerPoint with Presenter Notes

For Delivering the Lesson within a Classroom, Forum, or Community Event

www.overdose-lifeline.org PART 3

Prescription Pain Medicine (Opioids) and Heroin

Education and Prevention Lesson

What Do You Know?Do Not Write Your

Name on the Worksheet

A message from Justin Phillips, founder of Overdose Lifeline Inc.

Education & Prevention Film

Prescription Pain Pills

•Hydros•Oxycotton• Percs• Vikes

NOT the same as Heroin?NOT as risky?

Does Heroin hook people faster than other drugs?

Do Heroin and other drugs change a person?

What do these people all have in common?

Does overdose happen only with heavy drug use?

Will I ever try anything as risky as Heroin?

Can people just like me become addicted?

Are drugs and alcohol the best choice for escape?

Most Important Message

• Prescription Pain Pills = Heroin•Heroin and prescription pills are rarely the starting point - First is marijuana, alcohol and other drugs •When you use opioids and heroin, you lose your ability to choose• You can become addicted and you can overdose with just 1 use, with the 2nd, the 3rd , etc.

Need Help?If you or someone you know needs help, PLEASE know there is someone who will listen and help you.

If you or a friend are in crisis and need to speak with someone now, please call:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide—they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

• Community Hospital Indianapolis 24-hour crisis services: call 317-621-5700 or toll-free at 800-662-3445

• Dial 2-1-1 Helpline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If you need information on treatment and where you can find it, you can call:

• Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator at 1-800-662-HELP or visit www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

• Eskenazi Health Midtown 317-880-8491

• Your favorite teacher, your coach, your neighbor, your school nurse or school counselor, etc.

• Visit www.overdose-lifeline.org for more information and list of resources

What Do You Know?

Please share what you have learned today – inform others about the risks – Save a life.

Want to volunteer? Contact us through our website www.overdose-lifeline.org.